One third of Canadians fine with prescribing assisted suicide for homelessness

[WhatMightHaveBeen]

https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/canada-maid-assisted-suicide-homeless

As someone at the end of his financial rope, facing homelessness, I find this an enlightened position. I'd prefer gentle euthanasia to a life on the streets.

 

[wren-briar]

NGL the inaccuracy of the headline (27% is a heck of a lot closer to 1/4, and is notebly less than 1/3rd) and ambiguous wording ("If a Canadian's only affliction was "poverty," 27 per cent said they would be fine with legalizing that person's access to MAID. Another 28 per cent pegged "homelessness" as an appropriate bar to qualify for MAID." - so does that mean that 28 percent believe that homeless should be a barring condition, or that simply being homeless should be considered enough to qualifying for MAID?) sets the bar for accuracy well below trustworthy.

That said, I'm jealous, yet again, of our northern neighbors, and while I actually disagree with financial difficulties, including being unhoused, as being specifically articulated reasons to qualify, I also believe that all humans should have access to quick, peaceful deaths at the time of their choosing.

Put slightly differently, when society says that being poor should be a qualifier it is f'd up (I'd much rather society try to fix the system so that people aren't poor except by their own clear choice). However, someone saying that they choose to kill themself because of their poverty, that is a personal liberty.

 

[Plato'sCaveDweller]

People will fear monger that this is extermination of "undesirables", but what's the alternative? The system clearly isn't going to improve itself and actually offer these people tangible and substantial help anytime soon, if ever. But punishing those who are suffering by denying them a peaceful exit from a life they no longer wish to live, just because of society's inability to properly address the underlying issues or directly tackle their problems, is not the solution. What are we to do, keep these folks suffering on the street until society gets its act together? "Oh don't worry honey, in 5 years we'll have affordable housing and a guaranteed jobs program, trust me. I just have to win the next election!" Bull fucking shit. I don't see politicians giving a shit anytime soon. They never do.

This is a good interim solution, and it'd open the door to one day provide MAiD for all (idealistic, yes, but it is a step forward!). I don't think that many homeless will actually use MAiD, since the natural desire to cling to life under any circumstance is strong. But those that do want to seek it would be able to. This should be a no brainer.

 

[asiht]

I feel ya, OP. I'm approaching a similar place right now. Been unemployed since December and I'm almost out of $. I'm really scared about what the future holds. Having options would be nice.

 

[willitpass]

The fact that governments are so wildly unable to care for their own people that MAiD is a more accessible solution than adequate housing and liveable wages is such bullshit. As said above, this article may or may not have the most accurate statistics, but regardless, we know that homelessness and MAiD have been in discussion for quite some time. Some reasons for CTB are not solvable, like treatment resistant mental illness or severe trauma. This is one cause for suicide that is very much solvable if countries could get their fucking shit together and learn how to take care of their fucking citizens. But they can't pull their own heads out of their asses and divert funds to where they actually matter enough to do it.